1408: Midday Cleaning
by Marner
Summary: Okay, this is a random fanfic. I hope it turned out all right. There might be a sequel, depends on how I feel. Enjoy. Complete!


_A/N: Okay, this was completely random. I just got done reading the shot story 1408 and decided to write up a fanfic on it. I was really being random when I typed it up at five in the morning. I know it's short, but I think it turned out al right. I hope you enjoy the story._

I

"It'll be quick in and out. I'll be there while you do the work, so neither of you needs to worry," Olin continued debriefing.

Pepper and Samantha followed closely behind him. Their hands locked tightly as if it would protect them. Olin made his was through the carpeted hallways of the Dolphin hotel. Pepper turned to face Samantha. Samantha was tall with curly blonde hair and blue eyes; a regular model working as a hotel maid. Pepper was a dull girl, by her standards. She had long brown hair and brown eyes. Pepper felt Samantha's hand grip hers tighter.

_She's afraid_, Pepper thought to herself, _she's terrified._

They continued to follow the pudgy hotel manager towards the elevator. He pushed the button swiftly. The numbers lit above the closed elevator doors. The faint chime that was heard when each number became lit sounded like the wind howling. It was a terrifying chant. Pepper hadn't wanted to be selected to clean the room 1408. The room with the digits that add up to thirteen on the thirteenth floor-

_Fourteenth floor._

Pepper had her own reasons for not wanting to be chosen. She knew Samantha's fear. Samantha told her one evening they were cleaning. Since they had become good friends they would be chosen. Olin had learned that if the bond was strong enough then it could survive the room. Many other bonds had been tested with dismal results. There had been too many deaths, to many coincidences in that room. Pepper knew what the room could do, but never held any true fear of it.

_There is nothing to be afraid of, _Pepper wanted to tell Samantha. She lightly smiled at her lover. That was the other reason Olin had chosen them. They had fallen in love one evening. They had both had some drinks that night. Samantha kissed her unexpectantly and she enjoyed it. They took it a step father and had ever since been secret lovers. Olin knew they were lovers, it was uncanny how he knew, but he knew. The only real reason they had kept it secret was because of Samantha's ex lover. He had been a horrible companion.

_If only you knew. If only you knew that dark secrets of heart's love._

The final chime and the final light lead the elevator doors to open. The doors opened as if it was invitation to hell. Samantha's hand clenched onto Peppers. Pepper felt the sides of her lips curl into an airy smile. She wanted to tell Samantha a word, a sentence, a paragraph, to comfort her. But she knew that it would not help. Pepper knew that there was nothing that could help calm Samantha.

They entered the elevator behind Olin. He waited patiently for the two to enter. Pepper led the way boldly into the elevator. She felt her legs weigh heavily almost cementing her to the ground. The doors closed like the mouth of an angry monster. Pepper watched Olin lift a manicured finger to the buttons and push fourteen. She felt the shift in gravity as the elevator moved upwards. Pepper could taste the fear and eminent approach of something vile.

"It'll be quick," Olin muttered. He was trying to comfort the two girls. "In and out and I'll be there the entire time. Nothing horribly bad has happened to any of the maids who have cleaned the room. Not while they were under my care."

Pepper unconsciously nodded. For a brief second she saw Samantha staring at her. Pepper wanted to smile. She remembered what she looked like when she had awoken that morning, the morning after their first time together. _God, she was beautiful and still is. _She turned her glance back to the doors. She didn't want them to open. _A glitch, let there be a glitch. _She implored herself but to no avail. The doors opened. _Damn, well at least we can get it over with. _

Olin walked out in front of the two. He usually never walked past the elevator, but this time he had a reason. Pepper swallowed hard. She forced her feet to move forward. She gently pulled Samantha behind her. Pepper couldn't believe how heavy her feet felt but she still urged them forward. The hallway looked like other hallways in the Dolphin hotel. Pepper shook her head. _This isn't going to be too bad. It's gonna be over within minutes. To help Samantha I'll go the farthest in, I'll clean the bathroom and she can do the bed. It will be quick, in and out. _

Pepper followed behind Olin. Her heart sank as they walked down the rest of the hallway, to the left. Pepper it her tongue as she glanced at the door. She could have sworn it was tilting. It wasn't anything major, just a slight tilt to the left. She shook her head once more and Samantha turned to stare at her intently. Pepper glanced up into her worried face.

"You don't have to do this, if you don't want to." Olin told her.

_I know that you old fool. But I can't turn down an offer; I can't turn down any offer from a friend, a lover, or from an employer. I'll do it just because you requested it from me. I don't care about me anyway; I have to be here for Samantha. I can't leave her alone. _

"I'll be all right," Pepper responded bitterly. She nodded to confirm her answer.

Samantha gripped her hand firmly. Olin sighed and lifted a hand to his blazer pocket. He pulled out the brass key with the numbers engraved upon its handle. Olin placed the key into the keyhole. He glanced briefly back at Pepper and Samantha. Olin took a quick careful glance at Pepper. He sensed that something was wrong with her even before they entered the room. Pepper could tell that Olin was about to pull the key back out and tell them that it was a wrong 

idea. However, Pepper also knew Olin's pride. He always wanted his rooms to be cleaned, at least to some extent. Olin turned back to face the door and turned the key.

The door opened to allow them to enter. It was an instant invitation to death and quite possibly hell. Olin entered first after a brief hesitation. The two girls stood motionless and staring. The light from the sunlight during the midday crept into the room. It provided an eerie light. Even though it was a brilliant sunny day it was still horrible. There was something here waiting.

_Why am I afraid of a room? Why should any of us be afraid for that matter? I've done worse in my lifetime. I've done far worse then clean a hotel room. This will be quick-in and out. _

Pepper moved a step forward. Moving that foot forward made moving her other foot far easier. Samantha was forced to follow behind Pepper. Pepper inhaled deeply but Samantha didn't change. Samantha was petrified.

_She's dead already. I'm holding the hand of a dead woman. _

"Well, let's get this over with," Olin said breaking the silence.

"I'll go clean the bathroom," Pepper replied.

Olin nodded. Pepper released her hand from Samantha but Samantha hadn't. Samantha was frozen in either fear of shock. Pepper gently pulled her hand free. She felt her throat tighten but continued anyway. She turned to face Olin and nodded. She walked around him and made her way to the bathroom. She passed by the three pictures hanging on the wall. One was of a woman dressed formally sitting on the edge of the stairs. The other was of a ship sailing at sea. The last picture was of a bowl of fruit, a still life.

_Damn this room. I don't care for those pictures._

Pepper walked through the room and made her way past the bed and into the bathroom. She was glade that all the needed supplies were left in the bathroom already. She sighed and pulled out entered the bathroom. She made sure the door remained open. She opened up the cabinet under the sink and pulled out the needed tools. It wasn't much that needed to be done. She just needed to put the Ty-D-Bowl in the toilet, and make sure that everything was still folded nicely.

She heard the faint humming of Samantha. She closed her eyes and listened to the humming. It was a melodious tune, a song from Three Days Grace. Pepper felt her heart racing and she abruptly opened her eyes.

_Pain, that was the name of the song, Pain. Why would she be humming that here and now? She's always been a Three Days Grace fan, but why that song and why now? Why hum that tune when we're in this room?_

Pepper fumbled with the tiny box that held the Ty-D-Bowl inside. She felt the box slip from her trembling fingers. Her throat tightened even more and her breathing had increased rapidly. She forced air into her lungs and placed a warm hand on her clammy forehead.

"Get a hold of yourself," Pepper muttered to herself. "This is just a room and this is just a job. It's an easy task, in and out."

Pepper bent down to grab the box. Her fingers touched the tip of the cardboard and she heard the faint howl of wind. She forced her hand to grasp the box and lift the box. She stood up straight. There was nothing in the bathroom to suggest anything fowl about to happen. She opened the box and let the blue thing slip out of the container. The humming had stopped.

_What am I doing? I can't even do my job correctly. What is this thing called? Why isn't she, who is she, humming anymore? _

She finished her work quickly. Everything was in order. She stood over the bathtub and heard the howling again. She felt herself gulp. The lump in her tightening throat didn't leave. She heard a scraping noise coming off the tiled walls of the bathtub wall. She placed her hands over her ears to block out the sound. The scraping only grew louder. Pepper screamed and the scraping stopped.

"I've had enough," she shouted.

She turned and reached for the door. The door closed itself shut. Pepper felt her body quivering for the first time. She let out a soft harsh sound, it was whimper. _Why am I whimpering? I've never whimpered before. Cried maybe, but never whimpered. I'm no coward!_

II

Pepper glanced around the room. It was a small bathroom. It had the usual, a tub, a toilet, and a sink. Yet there was much more here. This bathroom had something else it. She heard a loud scream from beyond the door. It was from a world beyond the one she was standing in. It was the cry of her beloved in pain. _Pain, that was the song she hummed. Pain without love, Pain I can't get enough, Pain I like it rough, Pain 'cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all. _

She glanced around the bathroom once again. There was a small picture that hung on the wall farthest from the sink. It was small, but terrifying. It was of a man, he had a grisly smile. She hated the look in his eyes, it reminded her too much of _him_. She shook her head and forced her 

eyes to see the rest of the room. The sink was marble, or at least it looked marble. A neatly folded towel resting on a wall shelf was beside it. A large mirror was in front of the sink. The toilet sat beside it, and beside the toilet was the tub. It was a normal bathroom-

_But it's not normal. You know it isn't normal. You never should have agreed to do this. There is too much in your past. This room would not have let you go on without facing it. It's too easy a wound to cut open._

Pepper sighed and sat down on the closed toilet seat. She felt her breath falling short of filling her lungs. She wasn't sure how she was ever going to get out of this bathroom. This was a fear not usually shared by many people. However, this room was special. 1408 wanted Pepper to stay permanently. _Perhaps it's your past. Or maybe, just maybe, this room knows it can fuck you over and get away with it. You most likely deserve it. _

She heard the howl of the wind again. The howling grew louder. Pepper's body began trembling. _Why won't you stop it? _She swayed her head back and forth. Her swaying head couldn't make the noise stop. The howling continued to grow louder.

"Stop it!"

Pepper angrily lifted a soap dish and tossed it at the wall. It left a small hole in the wall. It was like a scrap or a sore that had been inflicted onto it. Pepper watched the hole grow into a crack. The crack grew and spread through the wall. The crack went under the picture of the grinning man. This time his smile revealed cannibal like teeth. The crack had forced her to see it.

Pepper turned her body around and stared into the large mirror. She saw her face for a brief second. Then her head turned around and she saw the back of her head. _You're losing it girl, you're losing it. Don't let this room get to you. _She lifted her hands and covered her eyes. She wanted to force everything out; this was going to be blocked out; a black mark in her past that she will never remember.

The scraping noise came back. It was loud and angry. Pepper turned towards the sound of the scraping. She cautiously lowered her fingers. She stared into the bathtub. There was blood randomly splattered everywhere. A corpse looking body lay inside the tub. The tub was full of bloodied water. It was her lover's ex lover.

"No," Pepper muttered. "You can't do this to me! I didn't do anything wrong! I was only protecting her!"

His eyes opened and a grin appeared upon his face. He lifted a dead hand towards her. Blood was seeping from his cut wrists. Pepper glanced over at the crack in the wall and noticed it was bleeding. The picture of the man offered no comfort. Blood slowly dripped from his ruby red 

lips. His pallid face only added to her fear. _Anger and agony, are better than misery, trust me I've got a plan, when the lights go off you will understand. _

The song continued to play in her head. She remembered that song well. It played in the background when she killed her lover's lover. He threatened to hurt her, and Pepper refused to let it happen again. Samantha, that was her name, had been through enough. _I would've liked to see her one last time. _Pepper felt tears fall from her eyes.

Pepper saw the blade resting on the sink. She turned to glance back at the tub. Samantha's ex was gone. The crack in the wall had gone back to being a small hole. The picture of the man went back to its original state. The only thing out of place was the writing. It was placed on toilet paper near the razor blade. It read: Are you ready to check Pepper?

_Fine, I'll check out. I'm ready._

Tears fell from her red and blistering eyes. She unconsciously nodded and lifted the blade. She closed her eyes and remembered stroking Samantha's hair. Samantha was beautiful. Pepper lifted a hand to the doorknob. She was able to turn it, but was unable to open the locked door. The room, 1408 with the digits that add up to thirteen, would not let her out. She was trapped within hell and that was how it was going to be forevermore. Pepper heard the final versus of the song Pain by Three Days Grace being hummed.

_I know (I know I know I know I know)_

_That you're wounded_

_You know (You know you know you know you know)_

_That I'm here to save you_

_You know (You know you know you know you know)_

_I'm always here for you_

_I know (I know I know I know I know)_

_That you'll thank me later_

Pepper carried the blade with her to the bathtub. She laid down looking dead already. She lifted the blade with a shaking hand to her wrist. The blade touched her skin. Pepper felt the tears streaming down her checks. She forced pressure onto her wrists. She pulled the blade downwards across her vein. Blood began seeping out. She quickly did the same to her other wrist. She heard a strange laughter, it sounded like that of some wicked being.

_Pain, without love_

_Pain, can't get enough_

_Pain, I like rough_

_'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_

_Pain, without love_

_Pain, I can't get enough_

_Pain, I like rough_

_'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_

_Pain, without love_

_Pain, I can't get enough_

_Pain, I like rough_

_'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_

_Rather feel pain than nothing at all_

_Rather feel pain_

Pepper lifted the blade to her throat as the lyrics were still being hummed. She held it at the base and to her left. She put pressure on the blade and cut into her throat. In one swift motion she pulled the blade across her throat. The blood seeped out of her open wound as she choked on the blood that was trapped. She tried to let out a cough which forced the blood to squirt out of her wound. Within minutes she felt herself pass on. She had finally checked out of 1408.

III

Samantha stared down at her new wound. The window had slammed shut and closed tightly on her fingers. She knew each of her fingers were broken. All the windows and doors closed shut in that instant. That included the bathroom door that entrapped her lover, Pepper. Samantha stood up and walked towards the picture of the ship. Her hand was securely wrapped in a towel to hold the blood in and to help keep the bones in line.

Olin had been trying to force the door open with no success. In all his years of working in the Dolphin hotel he had never been trapped in the room 1408. He had come in here plenty of times with his two maids meant to clean the room. 1408 had been forced to endure nothing to torment for quit some time now. It finally had its chance and it was not going to pass it up.

The doors and windows opened. Olin entered the bathroom only to exit it stunned. Samantha knew what happened to Pepper. The moment they were asked to clean the room she knew. Pepper was meant to die, to be trapped within the walls of 1408. She felt a tear develop under her left eye. She stared up into the picture and stared at the ship. She saw her, or what looked like her. No, it was her. Pepper was on the ship along with the other victims of 1408. The tears fell from her left eye as Samantha began humming the song Pain by Three Days Grace.

_Mini-Soundtrack_

_Pain By: Three Days Grace_

_Never Too Late By: Three Days Grace_

Animal I Have Become By: Three Days Grace


End file.
